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0'. K. MELLINGER.1

Carriage-Seat. No. 59,920.

Patented Nov. 20, 1866 N. PE ERS, PHOTO-UTHOGRAFHER, WASHINGTON n C.

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vIlllPItOV'EliIElilT IN SHIFTING SBATS FOR GABRIA GES.

CHRISTIAN K.. MELLINGER, or MANOR TOWNSHIP, PENNSY VANLA. Lam Patent vo, 59,920, dated .Nocember 20, 1566.

I SPEOIFIOA'IIONTE TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: p a i Be it ,known that I, CHRISTIAN K. MELLINGER, of Manor township, in the county of Lancaster, and Stan of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and improved mode for constructing Shifting Seats for Carriages and l hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference, being had to the accompany; ing drawings and the letters of reference'marked thereon, making apart of this specification, in which,- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a common farmerscarriage-box, with my improved shifting seatin place Figure 2 is a side view of a three-posted box with the seat thrown forward, the dotted lines showingthi position'of the seat when thrown back. i 1 Figures 3 are diagrams to illustrate theconstruction and operation of the combined sides orsupports o the seat. 1

Figure 4, seat and drop-lazy-back, O.

V The object of my 'inve ntion is to construct or supply a simple'shifting seat,,which is easily shifted, and thal will set firm, and be durable and cheap withal, and clearly to obviate all dangers of catching the clothing 01 impeding any manner the getting in or out of the carriage fromthe' back seat. This is accomplished by thg following simple device, which'I will now proceed to describe, to enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention. i i

, Each side of the seat-board or end is supported by the combined pieces B or top, the straight and curvei braces O D, and bottom piece A. The. latter is'firmly bolted to the floor or side beam at the bottom of the'car riage, andis stationary. The upper side of A is provided with boxes or deep slots, having such a bevel on thl ends as to adapt them-to the slope or curve of the braces when turned to the desired extent back or forward these braces are held by a stout pin or pivot, P, within the slots or boxes, a a' andb' b, at both ends, the slot: 1; 6" being, of course, on the under side of the top piece B. These boxes a a' "are similar in bevel to'those o b b in their reversed position. Thus constructed, each end of the seat, supported by the top and braces, work ingin unison on their pivots, 1?, within the'boxes or slots, on the fixed piecej A, will admit the seat to be pushe forward to the position shown by figs. 3 with ease, removing all obstruction from the centre of the carriage, an admit ladies and children to enter on the side of the vehicle and occupy the back seat with the greatest ease Whenseated, by a slight pull the seat is drawn back, as indicated by the dotted lines. Said braces and top and bottom pieces may be madeof wrought or cast iron, or of wood, (provided it is sufliciently stout.) It will b noticed that the braces C D, held by a stout pivot within the boxes, arestayed and prevented from yieldinp laterally, while the bevel of the box or slot comes square in contact with the edge of the brace within the slot yielding a firm support and securing the stability against any weightor pressure vertically. I findironof an inch square, with boxes or slots to receive the iron braces, .made one inchwidc and five sixteenths thick, sufii ciently strong; the pivots eleven inches apart, and the straight brace, c,say sixteen inches long. The brace I may be more or less curved; a radius .of twelve inches gives a good curve, and throws the seat as shown in tllr diagram, figs. 3. .The straight brace, I incline forward and backward from its centre, so as to be 40 above th horizontal line drawn through the pivot in either position, thus moving in a curve of 100 from one position t1 the other, as shown.- The height and throw of the seat' may of course be varied; Simple, durable, and satis factory as this device will prove to be, I am well aware of various devices for shiftingand folding over seats ir carriages, so that the object I aim at is not new; but my mode of accomplishing the same, by a specific arrange ment in the construction of the slots and arms, I believe to be novel and highly useful. I wouldsay that, th; object of the curved brace D is to afford room for the knees of those occupying the back seat especially when closed by leather or otherwise, as well as to yield a firmer contact within the slot and support of the seat above by lengthening said line of contact within the slots a" and b". The top piece B may also be provided with her izontal projections, G, turned inward, for additional, supports to the seat-board. There is a block Q, with notch or shoulder to support the braces on each side, hld by a pivot, P, so as to fold forward overothe seat (The hind seat, adaptcd'for women, is usually made a littlel'ower than that of the front seat, or drivers.) therefore do not claim a shifting seat, nor simply the,slotted top and bottom pieces or braces, separately con sidered, as such may be shown combined in a variety of forms for various purposes.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to tiecure by Letters Patent, isi a The specified combination and arrangement of the top and bottom pieces A B, braces C D, held by pivot P, within the boxes or slots a a" and b' 6",bevelled or constructed and operating inthe manner andfor th purpose specified.

CHRISTIAN K. MELLINGER;

Witnesses Guns. R. FnAInEY, Jscon SrAUrrEa. 

